richardson



No. 6||,440. Patented Sept. 27, I898.

A. A. RICHARD SON.

GBATE BAR.

(Application filed mi 10, 1897.)

(No new.) 2 sham-s at I.

WITNESSES INVENTOR Tn: uonms PEYERS 00 morolvrqomymswmmon, a, c

' FFlCE.

ALFONSOA. RICHARDSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 611,440, dated September 27, 1898.

Application filed November 10, 1897. Serial No. 658,018. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALFONSO A. RICHARD- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State'of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grate-Bars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to grate-bars particularly adapted .to furnace-grates; and the object of the invention is to providea grate for the free circulation of air through the same for cooling it, while at the same time to supply more air to the fire for combustion than usual; and still further objects of the grate are by the more perfect combustion and frequent agitation to obviate clinkers by breaking the same up, to dump the ashes without handling the same or opening the furnacedoor, and, besides, to generally improve gratebars of this class.

My invention consists of a grate-bar composed of ribs arranged around an air-passage through the grate-bar, said ribs being spaced accordance with my invention.

by means of suitable abutments, so as to provide for the entrance of air laterally and in all directions into the grate-bar for keeping it cool and into the combustion-chamber for supporting combustion, a series of lugs extending from two adjacent sides of each rib, so that the grate-bar is provided with a multiple series of lugs or teeth, the adjacent series standing approximately at right angles to each other, and means for holding the ends of the ribs so as to form a grate-bar, as will be hereinafter more fully described and then particularly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a furnace, one of the walls of the same being broken out, so as 'to show a grate composed of bars constructed in Fig. 2 is a plan view of two bars, partly in section, showing a modification. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view showing a portion of one of my improved bars. Fig. 4 is an end view of one of the bars. Fig. 5 is a sectional end of one of the bars, showing the application of a gear-wheel thereto. Fig. 6 is a detail view of one of the caps applied to the ends of the ribs of the grate-bar.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

I Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1, A indicates a furnace, and B a supporting-bar at the back of the furnace for supporting the rear ends of a series of grate-bars O, the forward ends of which project through the front wall of the furnace, so that the grate-bars can be rotated.

Each of my grate-bars is composed,as shown more particularly in detail in Figs. 3, 4, and 5, of four ribs D, which extend longitudinally of the grate-bar and are spacedat suitable distances apart, so as to bequartered with relation to each other, by means of suitable abutments cl, whereby the ribs D are equally spaced,so as to provide longitudinal air-spaces d for the circulation of air into the interior air-passage D of the grate-bar, Fig. 4-. The abutments also prevent sagging of the ribs. The inner corners of the ribs are preferably rounded off or cut 0%, as shown at d so that the longitudinal air-passage through the center of the grate-bar is rounded in cross-sea tion, whereby a greater quantity of air is permitted to pass through and cool the grate bar, while at the same time a greater quantity of air is supplied to the fire, which is arranged on the grate.

Extending along the adjacent sides of each rib D, so as to extend at right angles to the grate-bar, are a series of teeth or lugs e 6, respectively, which are separated by spaces or intervals (2 and. which are arranged in such a manner as that the series of teeth or lugs e alternate with the teeth or lugs e of each rib, so that the teeth eor e are continuous with the bottoms of the recesses or spaces 6 which they are arranged opposite to, so that in a complete grate-bar'no obstruction to the complete circulation of air is introduced. The advantages of the described construction will be more fully stated hereinafter.

Referring more particularly to detail views, Figs. 2, 5, and 6, it will be seen that the ribs composing each grate-bar are grouped and connected together by means of caps F,.ap-

plied to each end of the grate-bar, the ribs of the grate-bar being to this end extended beyond the last teeth or lugs in irregular or rectangular form, so that caps F, each provided with trunnions f 9, can be applied to the extended ends of said ribs, while at the outer ends of each bar a corresponding recessed gear-wheel G can be applied over the cap on said ribs. The gear-wheel and cap with trunnions can of course be made integral. The trunnion g is squared or of other suitable shape, so that a crank can be applied to that end for rotating the grate-bar. By reason of the described connection of the caps and gear-wheel with the grate-bars the same are permitted to rotate together, so that the torsional strain throughout the grate-bar is imparted to all of said parts.

To prevent the longitudinal separation of the caps and the gear-wheels from each gratebar, the same may be connected to the ribs by means of fastening-pins or any other suitable equivalent means, such as shown at h.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the gear-wheels are omitted, so that consequently each grate-bar can be independently rotated.

In order that the ends of the grate-bars can project through the furnace wall or plate, a portion of the ribs of each grate-bar must be free of teeth or lugs, or bared, as shown at the right-hand end of Fig. 2, these portions of the ribs furnishing one journal of the gratebar, which turns in the furnace, while the hollow trunnion g projects through said Wall or plate, so as to receive the socket of a crank for turning the bar. In the modification shown in Fig. 2 it will be seen that when one grate-bar is rotated the others will be rotated simultaneously through the medium of the gearing.

Inasmuch as each rib of a grate-bar so constructed is provided with two series of lugs or teeth which respectively stand at right angles to each, (so that in a complete grate-bar the adjacent lugs or teeth of the adjacent ribs stand in the same direction and are parallel with each other,) it is incident to such constructions that for the purposes of stirring up the coals supported on the grate a quarter-rotation must be imparted to each grate bar. The air for supporting combustion passes centrally through the grate-bar and upwardly through the spaces between the parallel lugs or teeth, as well as sidewise through the space between the teeth of each series, so that the air-currents can pass practically in all directions to the fire. By rotating the grate-bar a quarter-rotation a similar surface and support for the coals is presented as before and the ashes and clinkers, if any, will have been shaken through the spaces between the teeth or lugs and the ribs, so as to fall into the ash-pit below. If the quarter-rotation is not sufficient, the bar may be given a half-rotation or it may be rotated even one or more times. By the support of the coals on the upper ends of the lugs or teeth the air is enabled to have free access to the same, while when the grate-bar is rotated the combined action of the lugs or teeth of each rib, which are set at right angles to each other, permits the lugs to enter and press out the ashes and clinkers, so that the coals are fully shaken up and the ashes removed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent Y 1. A hollow grate-bar, consisting of a plurality of longitudinal ribs spaced at'suitable intervals apart and arranged around a central longitudinal air-passage through the grate-bar, said ribs being each provided with two series of solid teeth or lugs arranged respectively on two adjacent sides of the rib,

so as to be set at an angle with respect to [each other, and abutments between the ribs for separating them, said abutments being formed with the ribs themselves, whereby the central air-passage through the grate is pervmitted to be free and unobstructed, substantially as set forth.

2. A hollow grate-bar, consisting of a plurality of longitudinallyextending ribs 7 arranged around a central air-passage through the grate-bar, and abutments between the ribs for separating the same and providing air-inlets into the central air-passage, said ribs being each provided with two series of teeth or lugs arranged respectively on adjacent sides of each rib so that they extend at right angles with relation to each other, the lugs or teeth of oneseries alternating with the lugs or teeth of the other series, so that,

inthe complete grate-bar, the adjacent series 

